You probably have noticed these huge power lines delivering electricity across the country. But how is this electricity generated? Although there are some alternate sources like wind power and nuclear power, the majority of electricity in the United States is generated by burning coal. Seedless plants were central in forming the coal deposits that we depend on.

Importance of Seedless Plants

Seedless plants have been tremendously useful to humans. Without these plants evolving millions of years ago, life as we know it would be very different.

Seedless Plants Became Coal

The greatest influence seedless plants have had on human society is in the formation of coal millions of years ago. When the seedless plants died, became buried deep in the earth, and were exposed to heat and pressure, coal formed.
Coal
is essentially made of the fossilized carbon from these plants. Now coal is burned to provide energy, such as electricity.

Current Uses

But some seedless plants still have uses in society today.
Peat moss
is commonly used by gardeners to improve soils, since it is really good at absorbing and holding water (
Figure
below
).

Ferns are also found in many gardens as ornaments. The fiddleheads of certain species of ferns are used in gourmet food. Some species of ferns, such as the maidenhair fern, are used as medicines.

Sphagnum, or peat moss, is commonly added to soil to help absorb water, and keep it in the soil.

Vocabulary

coal
: Combustible sedimentary rock primarily composed of carbon; burned for the production of electricity and/or heat; a fossil fuel.

peat moss
: Large, absorbent moss often used to increase water capacity of soil.

Summary

Seedless plants were responsible for the formation of coal millions of years ago.

Two ways that gardeners utilize seedless plants are peat moss as a soil amendment and ferns as ornamental plants.